|
City Lights (2 Disc Special Edition)Rating:
Release Date: 02 March, 2004 Retail Price: $29.98 OUR Price: $26.99 You SAVE: $2.99! Cast: Complete Cast (8 total) |
City Lights (2 Disc Special Edition) Reviews
City Lights after so many years still shines
This is probably considered Chaplin's best film with Modern Times.This is though Chaplin's best film in romance where his other films didnt deal with the romance as much as this.All his films had romance but this one the romance was the purpose of the story.
Here are lovely tramp is revealed sleeping on a public showing of a new statue.This by far the best of the Tramp entrances in Chaplin's films.The tramp poor and lovable meets a blind girl (Virginia Cherril) selling flowers.When the blind girl mistakes him for wealthy millionaire he makes his purpose to make her life even better.While meeting a actual millionaire but drunk one he gets help and with other little jobs he does his best for that he get enough money for that he can pay for a operation for her get her eye sight again.
This is Chaplin most romantic film from all of them with one the most touching endings ever.When the blind girl finally realizes is that The Tramp wasn't a millionaire and did that for her she is filled with unexpectedness and admiration and for the Tramp pride and devotion.The whole thing works with the acting that never goes overboard and with Chaplin genius that makes it perfect.Also the ending has been done again similarly in films like Manhattan,Magnolia and La Dolce Vita.
City Lights is a favorite of a great number of renowned directos.Orson Welles has said that this is his favorite film of all time.Stanley Kubrick had put City Lights on his top ten list of best films.Also Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky put it on his list mentioning also his admiration of Chapin saying "Chaplin is the only person to have gone down in cinematic history without any shadow of doubt.In the films he left behind can never grow old."In the 2003 documentary Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin,Woody Allen said it was Chaplin's best picture.The film after of a great significance was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
This is the first film by Charlie Chaplin after sound pictures started.After The Circus Chaplin's last film before the sound pictures all the silent film stars including Chaplin were in trouble on how their fate in films would play out.But Chaplin knowing his great talent in silent films he didn't let sound defeat him.He used to help make his films better and to use his silent film talent.He used the talent by composing a musical score for City Lights and with his other films he used no dialogue in the film.If Chaplin didn't have the power,the studio or the money he would have been obligated to make a film in sound earlier than he did.He did use the score as I said and sound effects that makes the film better by making jokes work better.
Chaplin a perfectionist is the Kubrick of his time.He was like Kubrick a maniac at doing lots and lots of takes until the shot was perfect.Charlie Chaplin at one point re-shot the scene where The tramp buys a flower for the first time from the blind flower girl.He re-shot it by amount of 342 times.For the reason he could not find a satisfactory way for the blind girl being fooled that The Tramp was rich.A perfectionist in how many takes he wanted he was also a perfectionist at what he wanted from his actors performances.At one point he fired Virginia Cheril and hired Georgia Hale his star from The Gold Rush.But was unable to continue with that for budget restrains.
City Lights is Chaplin's longest loves labour right next to The Great Dictator.It was in production from 31 December 1927 - 22 January 1931, over three years.It shot for only 180 days, though.Even though with pressure for making a sound film and production problems.City Lights had no problem in the public eyes on being a classic with people like Albert Einstein and George Bernard Shaw attending premieres of the film.
Funny man at his humane best.
The love story of the tramp and the blind flower seller truly establishes the fact that love is indeed blind. This makes you laugh, cry and leaves you with a feeling so good at the end of the movie. Best Chaplin movie according to AFI it is definitely a collectible.
More Customer Reviews (33 total)
You like City Lights (2 Disc Special Edition)?
|
© 2004, 2005, 2006 DVD Booty | Don't Plunder Our Cache of Booty, Matey!
Hosting made possible by donations from Debt Consolidation Explained, Debt Consolidation Wizard, and Mortgage Nerd
